Bang, Bang, Bang.
On patrol, the night guards struck their wooden rattles in rhythm. The soft sound of morning bells echoed through the village like a gentle summons, breaking the silence of night with mellow chimes. It didn't take long for the sound to reach the wooden walls of Velyth's humble home.
Velyth, though still lazy in body, knew he would have to get up sooner or later. The world didn't stop. The villagers were already on the move; life followed its cycle. He couldn't afford to rest in a time where refinement was limited.
He sat up slowly beneath the sheets, his disheveled black hair nearly touching his shoulders. The new body still resisted the more subtle movements—as if fighting against the soul that now inhabited it. But it no longer felt as foreign as in the early days.
"Another day, then..." he murmured as the faint sunlight slipped through the window cracks, painting the floor in shades of orange.
He stood up. The wooden floor creaked under his bare feet. He walked to the water basin and washed his face with a cold touch that brought him fully back to reality. There were no books. No masters. But there was a body. And a body, trained properly, could become an unbreakable wall.
---
Velyth stepped out into the backyard. It was a simple space — a few stones, hard soil, and an old tree stump rooted in the center — likely once used by previous residents for chopping wood. Today, it would be his altar of refinement.
He took a deep breath. The morning air was crisp and clean, carrying the scent of damp earth. He would begin with slow, repetitive movements — a sequence of postures aimed at activating the physical Inai: deep push-ups, twists, and body-weight surges.
The goal wasn't just to strengthen muscle. It was subtler than that — to guide the Inai through flesh, veins, and tendons until the body itself understood the flow.
Each movement was an invocation.
Each drop of sweat, a small sacrifice.
That was how the Body Gate was refined.
Velyth closed his eyes. His mind quieted as his heartbeat quickened.
And then he felt it — a faint warmth circling inside.
It wasn't imagination. It was energy obeying, even if crudely.
Training had officially begun.
He did his first push-up. His hands sank into the damp soil, his knuckles scraping against scattered pebbles.
Though never overweight, Velyth hadn't stepped into a gym once during his "birth life." His lack of practice with aerobic, strength, flexibility, balance, and functional training had cost him dearly the first time he tried refining the Body Gate.
But a thousand lives had passed since then. Thanks to the harsh experiences as a cultivator in those past lives, technique and execution were no longer a problem.
So he continued. One. Two. Three. Four...
Each motion set his shoulders on fire — a constant warning of exhaustion — but he refused to slow down.
One of the core principles of body refinement was to push and break the limits of one's physicality to the maximum, overcoming current weaknesses to reach a higher tier.
In short, the greater the effort, the greater the reward.
When his arms could no longer hold him, Velyth stood and began to run. His feet pounded against the hardened earth, kicking up dust in the morning air.
Each step rattled his bones, but he forced himself forward — faster, stronger. His lungs burned, breath coming in ragged bursts, but he refused to stop.
A warmth spread throughout his body.
"Good... a sign that the flow is reaching my bones," he thought as he kept running along the village paths of Qyan.
Later, after training, he rested with his back against the stump, gazing at the clear blue sky above the distant mountains. The world was vast. The village was merely a forgotten edge of civilization.
"The Tianhae Academy..."
The name echoed in his mind. That was where many young cultivators went. More often than not, only those with the necessary talent passed the entrance exam.
'I still remember the first time I tried...'
Pure luck. Nothing more.
'Heh... And the many, many times I failed afterward.'
"Today's only the second day of preparation. I need to make sure I'm strong enough to survive those mountains and colossal peaks."
Velyth knew better than anyone how dangerous the famed Tianhae mountains were. Every kind of trial awaited there in silence.
A child ran past the other side of the fence — a girl with sharp eyes and her hair tied in a messy bun. Behind her came an old woman, hunched over, carrying a basket of herbs.
Velyth simply watched. He was still a stranger there. And, in a way, he liked that distance.
The wind blew gently through the branches, bringing with it the earthy scent of the nearby forest. Leaves danced to the whisper of the breeze, and Velyth remained still, feeling each detail around him as if it were part of him.
His body still ached. But it was a good pain. A living pain.
It was confirmation that the Body Gate was beginning to respond.
"Not enough yet. The foundation needs to be solid."
He stood slowly, brushing the dust from his simple clothes. The village of Qyan had a calmness that was almost dangerous for someone like him. It was easy to get lost in that tranquility, to forget one's purpose, to dull the blade.
He walked along the dirt paths, passing farmers on their way to work, elders sitting in the shade talking about the weather, and young ones training with wooden staffs under the guidance of a stern-faced master.
It was a bucolic scene — but not a foolish one. There was a quiet beauty in everything around.
'Peace is good. But it also rusts.'
Velyth continued toward the small stream that cut through the western part of the village. Crystal-clear waters ran over rounded stones, and the sound of the steady flow was almost meditative.
He knelt. Cupped the water and washed his face, feeling the chill awaken his senses.
He closed his eyes. Took a deep breath.
He visualized his body as a whole — every inch, every cell. He imagined the energy as a current flowing within him, strengthening muscles, purging impurities, stretching the limits of his physical potential.
He didn't just need strength. He needed harmony. Rhythm. Consistency.
'The Tianhae Academy only accepts those with the right foundation. I won't trip on the first step.'
He opened his eyes slowly, droplets falling from his hair to his chin. The flow of energy was clearer now. More... natural.
Still far from perfection, of course.
But he was on the path.